


Stormlight Archives - The Other Windrunner

by TheSingerOfSouls



Category: Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: AnotherWindrunner, CraethinIsAGrumpButWeLoveHimAnyway, Gen, IJustLoveLilWhenShesFriendlyAndWholesome, Knights Radiant (Stormlight Archive), LifeAdviceFromFool, Roshar (Stormlight Archive), Spren (Stormlight Archive), StormingTags, StormlightArchivesFanfic, StormlightFanfic, The Cosmere (Cosmere), Windrunner - Freeform, WitIsAlwaysJustTheBest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29236281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSingerOfSouls/pseuds/TheSingerOfSouls
Summary: This story is about another windrunner during the events of the Stormlight Archives, who was never involved in the Alethi Revenge Pact or part of Bridge Four. It tells of his adventures on Roshar as he learns of the oaths, the powers, and the conflict that he has unwillingly become a part of.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. The Grey Light of Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet the main character

Craethin Tali opened his eyes slowly in the dark musty room. The grey light of dawn shone faintly through the stormshutters. The dim light welcomed him every morning, of every day of his pitiful existence on this Almightyforsaken planet. The dim light that signaled a new day to suffer, a new day to endure, a day filled with painful steps, sorrowful breaths, with no point but to make it to bed at the end of the day so he could wake up the next morning to do it all over again. He could remember a time when that light signaled new opportunities, new challenges, new joys. That was lifetimes ago, and those memories belonged to another person. Not Craethin. Craethin had never been blessed with that kind of hope.

The room that he was lying in was sparsely furnished. Other than the creaky old bed that had springs sticking out in places, there was a splintery side table, a small moldy closet, and a plush chair that had been robbed of all its stuffing, leaving a sad, deflated upholstered chair behind. The walls and floor were a dull brown and covered with crem, and the ceiling had a single solitary sphere hanging in a locked lamp, a diamond chip that hardly gave off any light. Craethin squinted at the strange stain on the ceiling that looked suspiciously like either wine or blood. He couldn’t tell which it really was. He let out a slight groan as he rolled over, and proceeded to glare at the small annoying spirit that had been following him for months now. 

She sat on the side table, half a handspan tall, beaming up at him with her insufferable smile. Glowing a bright blue, the little ghost never left him alone, insisting that he needed to say the Words and save the world. Having no idea what the Words were or why he should save the world when it had done nothing for him, he continued to curse at her every time she spoke to him and blatantly ignored her to the best of his ability. She had long flowing hair, a pointed nose and pretty features, dressed in a long girlish dress that was the same color as the rest of her. But then there were her eyes. Her storming eyes that seemed to understand him better than anyone he’d ever met. The storming eyes that cared about the man they hardly knew. The storming eyes that gleamed with the light of a thousand stars and saw each new day with the innocence and hope of a child. Those storming eyes.

Craethin groaned as he rolled out of bed, sparing a glance for the ghost’s enchanting eyes as he set his feet on the floor. He bent over to pick up the large bag off the floor which contained all his earthly belongings. As he left his room and strolled down the hallway to the breakfast room of the shanty inn, his glowing companion followed, darting excitedly from keyhole to keyhole to see what the other inhabitants of the building were doing. He kept his appearance scruffy, to ward off any bothersome people who may try to sell him something or offer their annoying kindness to him. Dirty clothing that had not been washed in weeks, a scraggly short beard and unkempt hair kept all decent folk at a distance. For anyone less than respectable who might try to approach him, Craethin kept a sheath at his waist, though he had long since sold the sword it once protected for extra spheres. His skin was similar to those from Alethkar, the distant war-loving country that was infamous for violence, so those who saw him carrying a sheath instantly thought that he was capable of using it, though he had not lifted a weapon for a very long time. Craethin wasn’t sure what country he was from at this point, after having visited every one at least once, and some many times over.

Craethin entered the dining parlor, ordered a meal of curry and bread from the colorfully dressed innkeeper, and sat down by a window to overlook the Yeddaw slums. The Tashikki city was a large, curious place, a maze of chasms in the ground with buildings built into the walls. He then turned to the little ghost who stood on the table. The curious being was changing her dresses and modeling them for him. She settled on a dress from Alethkar, with a long, flowing skirt and a sleeve that covered her left hand entirely. He wasn’t sure what to think of her. He’d heard stories of mischievous little creatures called faeries from other planets. Maybe she was a faerie. Whatever she was, she seemed to enjoy his presence as much as he loathed hers, and Craethin knew he wasn’t getting rid of her anytime soon. He was distracted from his observation of her when a figure sat down opposite him at the table, and he let out a soft groan as he recognized the man.

The man had dark black hair, sharp features, and a cunning gleam to his eyes. He sat down with the grace and elegance of a noble, and proceeded to steal Craethin’s bread. The man wore a dark uniform, neatly pressed, which stood out starkly against the bright flowing clothes of the locals. Craethin had run into this man many times over his travels, and each encounter found him more insufferable than the last. “I have no time for your jokes today, Fool,” Craethin groaned.

“You are mistaken, my fine sir,” the man replied with a grin and a gleam in his eyes. “I am going by the title Wit today.”


	2. The Journey Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Craethin has a short meeting with Wit. He leaves Yeddaw. We learn more about the little spirit

The Fool, who was now apparently going by Wit, proceeded to lean back casually and stick his boots up on the table in a paradoxically improper yet noble manner. He then pulled a flute out of thin air, and began to play a cheerful little tune that clashed terribly against Craethin’s gloomy mood. As Craethin grumbled and protectively pulled his food closer, Wit feigned being hurt. “My dear friend, you act as if I am some devilish man come to scam you of your money, instead of one of your most common traveling companions. I haven’t even commented on your gloomy appearance today. Which, I might add, is impressively rugged and disdainful.”

Craethin stood to leave. “I have no time for your jokes today, Fool. Or Wit. Whoever you are. I am not your friend, and I will not sit here and listen to your babble. Today is a journeying day for me. I am finished in this city, so I will be moving on. I have a long journey today, so I would do best if you did not delay me.” As he began to walk away, Wit’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm. Holding him there, Wit looked Craethin dead in the eyes.

“One piece of advice, my friend. You would do best to listen to her.” Wit nodded towards the little spirit, which now sat on the edge of the curry bowl, and Craethin gasped. Until now, no one that he knew of had been able to see her. “The world is changing,” Wit continued. “Radiance is beginning to come back to men, and the Enemy stirs as well. Things are about to get very complicated, and it would be best for all of us if you learn what you can before they do.” With that he stood, and promptly walked out the door of the parlor, taking his strange flute with him. Craething sat dumbfounded, and despite the stubborn voice in his head that told him to ignore everything the strange man said, decided to hold onto the advice given and see how it might help him.

Craethin paid the innkeeper for his meal and room, then quickly took the stairs down to the streets. The slums were filled with poor people who had lived a rough enough life that they no longer wished to work for anything. He tossed a coin to one of the beggars on the street, then began the ascent up the ramp towards the exit of the city. He nodded to the City Guard, and stepped out onto the wide, grassy fields, with the occasional tree or shrub changing up the dull landscape.

“He’s right you know,” a soft, lovely, slightly musical voice said at his side. “There you have become part of something much bigger than yourself.” The little spirit looked up at Craethin, and for the first time since he had met her, he saw something other than joy in her eyes. Instead they held pleading, asking him to make the effort to be something more.

“I gave up on making the world a better place a long time ago,” Craethin responded, his gruff, raspy voice contrasting greatly with her voice. “No one ever did anything for me other than try to swindle me out of as many spheres as possible. I don’t owe no one nothing. I just want to find my next job, and continue around from city to city. No connections. No settling down. Life can hurt you a lot less when you have nothing to lose.” At those words the ghost deflated slightly, then shook her head.

“No, you know that’s not true. You do want something more. You just haven’t realized it yet. We need to get you to say the Words, and take the first step. The world needs you, Craethin.” Craethin was amazed at how human this being was, though he got the feeling she was something more… divine. He was about to say something, but remembering the advice from Fool earlier, thought better of it. He simply watched her as she walked beside him in the air, seeming to float much faster than her pace should have taken her. They walked for silence in a while, and Craethin watched his ghostly companion, intrigued by her. She smiled and looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. “I know what you’re thinking. I’m radiant and beautiful and brilliant.” These words, followed by a hair toss, resulted in Craethin rolling his eyes and grumbling to himself.  
“I don’t even know what in Kelek’s name you are,” Craething responded. “It would help if you used more words that actually exist and made sense.”

The spirit rolled her eyes. “It would make more sense if you would actually listen. I am a sentient spren. One of just a few here, if the rumors I’ve heard are correct. I have a very important purpose coming here, though I can’t remember what it is.” Her face wrinkled in intense thought, then she shook her head. “I’ll figure it out eventually. Anyway, my name is Gilila, which you would have learned months ago if you actually listened. I’m here to help you learn the Words, and become something more than you are. So respect me.” She then lifted up her chin and acted prideful for a moment, then grinned and began to dart around, saying hello and introducing herself to the few cremlings crawling nearby. They continued to move to the next town through the brown grass, which retracted into little holes as they passed through it.

“You are a curious creature,” Craethin said to himself softly. He smiled seeing how friendly she was to the little cremling, even when they couldn’t respond. Here was something special. A little spirit - spren - that treated everything with love and attention, despite what or who they were. A talking spren on top of that. He’d never seen anything like that before. Maybe he could tolerate her as a traveling companion, at least for a little bit. Realizing that he wasn’t being grumpy anymore, Gilila floated over to talk to him.

“You aren’t really as grumpy as you seem. You just act that way to avoid talking to people. That’s interesting.” She tilted her head in confusion. “I love talking to people. Even though you’re really the only peson I’ve talked to.” Her storming eyes seemed to be piercing his very soul, until she smiled again and floated off to talk to some windspren. There seemed to be something similar between her and the other spren. But Craethin knew they were not the same. Windspren had never talked to him before. Come to think of it, Craethin had not seen any spren in a long time. They seemed to avoid him, and he did his best to keep his feelings dull and numb to keep him from caring about others. Because when he cared, he knew he cared too much.

Craethin continued his journey with his cheerful spren companion, surprised as he, for the first time in years, felt like someone actually noticed him.


	3. The First Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few months later

The sun shone brightly overhead as Craethin walked through a market in a Makabak village. The vibrant colors of rugs and clothing mixed with the smells of different foods to create a truly exotic experience for the many tourists who stayed in the several inns in town. There were few clouds in the sky, and the weather was warm, resulting in many of the local men walking around without wraps over their torsos. Craethin noticed that the bright sun bothered him less than usual. The people too. He felt a little happier, a little more comfortable and confident, with Gilila by his side. She had begun to change his life for the better. The storming spren actually made him smile and laugh at times. He had forgotten how good it felt to laugh.

His little ghost was amazed by the people. She pestered him with questions about this clothing and that food. He found that he was slowly coming to enjoy the cheerful sound of her voice. You storming fool, Craethin thought. You know you shouldn’t get attached to her. Before you know it, she’ll leave you like all the rest, and you’ll be broken again. He still couldn’t help but laugh as she began to change her face to match those of two angry merchants arguing with each other. She floated over to stand in front of him, beaming. Her storming eyes were filled with joy as she looked at him.

“I told you, Grumps. This town is a great place to stop on our travels. So colorful. So exciting!” She did a dramatic little twirl, then sat down in the air, continuing to move beside Craethin.

“Lil,” Craethin responded, rolling his eyes. “I was the one who brought us to this town. You were just floating along following me. But yes, this place is goofy enough that you fit right in!” She scowled at him, and he grinned back.

“But I’m still the smarter one of our duo. You wouldn’t know Radiance if it came and slapped you in the face!” Lil stuck her tongue out at him, then crossed her legs and puffed a small book and pen into existence. She liked to write, though Craethin hadn’t been able to get her to share her stories with him yet. She also kept talking about Radiance, and Words, and something about the Almighty and a coming danger. Every time Craethin pushed her on these topics, she simply replied that she could not remember anymore. He now paid attention to everything she said, not just because Fool had told him too. She was now Craethin’s friend.

Friend. That word still felt weird. He hadn’t had a friend in years, not since that day as a young man, barely older than a youth, when he left his home and feelings behind and sought out a meaningless existence moving from town to town. He was an odd-job man, occasionally muscle-for-hire. He had done everything from helping a family move to a new home to assisting in robbing nobles. Anything for money. However, the more he was around Lil, the more she encouraged him to seek jobs that helped other people and made the world better. Here in this little town, he had been hired to help give tourists guidance to the best shops, inns, and restaurants. He had received many bribes from different groups to direct tourists in their direction, but had decided to try out each place and gain his own opinion on the best locations. Lil had been very pleased with his decision.

So now he walked through a marketplace, wearing a funny-looking turban that marked his occupation and waiting for clueless tourists to ask him where best to waste their money. As he walked, he felt Lil lean gently against his neck. He could barely feel her there, but the slightest touch of her head was comforting to him. “I’m so glad I met you,” she told him quietly. “When I left home, I found many people. But there’s something about you. Something different. Your heart is bigger than anyone else’s, though you locked it up to keep everyone away. You don’t keep me away though.” Craethin smiled gently, and continued to walk down the street.

Later that night, the two settled into their little room in the inn. The room was now lit by Craethin’s spheres that he had been saving up, though they still seemed to lose their light much faster than they should. Storming Makabaki, He thought. They keep giving me old spheres. He settled into his bed with a full stomach, and looked over to Lil. He wasn’t sure if spren slept, but he had made a little bed for her out of one of his shirts, and she laid in it every night when he went to sleep. “Today was a very successful day,” she declared proudly. “You got lots of spheres from people, and I made new friends! They are all very small and crawly, but nice too.” She settled down in the old shirt, looking thoughtful.

“You know, Lil, you changed my life in the last few months. Before I really met you, I would think every night about dying. How miserable my life was. I wasn’t really living, just drifting day by day from one place to another. But you care. You care.” He choked up a little, before clearing his throat and continuing. “But there is light in the world now. I don’t know how long it will last, but I will do what I can while you stand by my side. The darkness still tries to creep in from the corners of my mind. But I will Live before I Die. I will use my Strength until Weakness keeps me from getting up every day and fighting through. I will continue my Journey through life, until fate brings me to my Destination, where I am meant to be. Things are getting better, Lil. There is still hope left in the world.”


End file.
